“I’ll be ready,” Preston said with a smile.
“You’ll regret not having a hotel with a gym within a week,” I said as I rose to my feet. “We’re making cookies tonight, like when I was a kid, and you’ll get some. The portions here are fucking ridiculous, too.”
“I can go for a nice run around town. I am sure there is a good place to get some tea in the morning.” Preston spoke in a positive tone that made me want to punch him for a fleeting second, but I settled for an eye roll.
“I will see you tomorrow morning. Text me if anything comes up. I do mean anything.” I shot him a serious look before I headed back to the parking lot. I needed to distract myself with work while I was here. That was my life now; my focus.
Chapter Six
Rebecca
It was so dark and overcast. The weather the newscaster mentioned was on the way. I shivered in the nearly nonexistent heat that this car provided me. I just wanted to be home where I could build a fire.
I noticed the car drove unevenly just as it began to rain, and dread filled my body. “No, no, no.” I pulled over on the muddy shoulder and pulled up the hood of my sweatshirt. Then I stepped out to assess the situation. My rear driver side tire was flat, and from what I could see, it was a lost cause to patch anything. Terry at the tire shop warned me about this, but I cou
ld be so stubborn.
I’d have to get the spare on and go for a new tire with my tail between my legs. The rain was freezing by now, and all I had was this thin sweatshirt. I was just walking to the trunk when a fancy car pulled up behind me. I narrowed my eyes to see through the heavy drops that soaked me.
“Need some help?” A man hopped out, and I recognized Austin a beat before he realized who I was. “Rebecca?”
“Yep. It’s me. I think I need to get my spare on. This tire is dead.”
He walked over to look. “You should have had that replaced a long time ago. See that tread?” I raised an eyebrow at his judgmental gaze. “Is everything in the trunk? I’ll take care of this for you.”
“You know how to do that?” My voice was hard, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “When is the last time you did anything like this? Don’t you have a staff for that now?”
“I’ve changed plenty of tires in my life. I haven’t forgotten how, Rebecca.” Austin sounded resigned as he walked over to his car. He reached inside to the back seat and handed me a massive umbrella. “I see you don’t prepare yourself for weather. Some things never change.”
“I was rushing home from the salon to try to beat the rain.” I looked at the handle and figured out how to open it just before he was reaching forward to help me. “Got it.”
The dark, heavy material seemed to surround me. I looked down to see nearly my entire body protected from the rain. This was nothing like the collection of Dollar General umbrellas piled up at home, instead of in my car where they should be. I watched as Austin slipped a raincoat over his own body, even though he was soaked. He pushed the hood over his head and made his way to my car, giving me flashes of the old Austin for a brief moment.
He got the jack and secured it under the old car before cranking it up to lift it. “This is a different car than high school, isn’t it?” he asked.
I had to lean forward to hear him. “Mom gave me hers before they moved. Tilly died a few years ago.” He turned to look at me. “I loved that car.”
“It made me worry when you’d drive home at night,” he mumbled. A faint smile crossed my face. “I know you think I’m a different person than the guy that left town eleven years ago, Rebecca.”
“Of course, you are. You’re a billionaire now, Austin. You don’t know what it’s like to live a normal life anymore.”
He shook his head in the dim light from the little hint of sun that peeked through the clouds. I glanced around to see if I could find a rainbow, but the sun was setting and too dark.
Austin looked like any other man, hunched over, cussing at my tire in the wet weather. He looked like the Austin that I was once in love with.
I pushed the thought from my mind and stepped forward to try and shield him from the rain. It came down in sheets now. Austin glanced up, and I reached out for the flashlight that he had under one arm. “Can I help at all?”
Austin jammed the flashlight towards me, and I took it, aiming it at the lug nuts that he tried to tighten. I sensed the tension in the air as he worked, feeling his anger in waves. I could always sense Austin’s emotions before and that hadn’t changed. I suspected he put on a cool front for people but still had the endless thoughts working away at him deep inside. He jerked the tool, and he stood up. Austin put everything back in the trunk, including the dead tire, before turning towards me with a dark look in his eyes.
Austin wiped his hands on the gray slacks he wore and jerked the umbrella out of my hands, holding it above me. We were both protected, but I was cold and scared of whatever he was feeling inside.
“I grew up here the same as you, Rebecca. I had single income parents who struggled to put a fucking meal on our table for me and a roof over my head. I know how you lived and are still living. Stop treating me like I don’t.”
“You’re rich now. You walked away from this town and your own parents.” I stopped myself, worried about what I would say next. I didn’t want to say it.
“I followed through with my dreams because of them, Rebecca. I’m the man I am today because Dad showed me how much hard work pays off. I did everything for them, and I’d pay them back if they’d fucking let me. I fell in love with New York, and if they weren’t so stubborn, they’d live in a mansion there near me. Mom wouldn’t have to lift a finger. But they won’t leave, Rebecca. They won’t let me pay them back.” I heard the disappointment in his voice, and he dropped his clenched fists to his sides. “I grew up struggling because they worked hard to let me focus on my goals. I am not ashamed that I made something of myself and got out of here. I’m fucking proud of my hard work, and I know that I am blessed every single day. I just wish they were there to see it, too.”
“Your mama’s life is here. Her friends and family are here. She’s not going to leave. And your dad meets his friends every morning for coffee. He has for years. Why would they leave?” He dropped his head forward and closed his eyes. “Do you remember anything about this town? Do you remember the good times with your friends? Do you ever think about summers in the creeks and getting ice cream from Ginny? Do you care about anyone in this town other than your parents? Because everyone here was your family at one point in your life. They’re all proud of you, and you haven’t been back to see anyone since you left.”